


Silly

by athirdsprout



Category: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:21:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23736034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/athirdsprout/pseuds/athirdsprout
Summary: Most people realized that Pooh was a little silly. What they did not realize was that, she was a little silly on purpose.
Relationships: Pooja Sharma/Rohan Raichand
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	Silly

Most people realized that Pooh was a little silly. What they did not realize was that, she was a little silly on purpose. 

As a child, she had been silly and carefree, going wherever she wanted and doing whatever she wanted. One day, she'd be holding court in their sweetshop, answerable to no one. Another day, she would be roaming the streets of Chandni Chowk with her gang, terrorizing new comers. Her mother had passed away when she was born and there was no one to check her movements, except for a doting but negligent father and an older sister not much interested in a sibling half her age. 

Pooja quickly realized, silly worked. Silly was how she held people's attention. Her father would pay attention if she tried to sell the sweets at silly prices. Her sister would pay attention if she picked silly fights. 

Perhaps that is why she recognized a kindred soul in Laddu. Khala lavished attention and care on him. But Laddu only got his parents to notice him when he was being very silly. He'd eat too much, pretend not to know how to tie his shoelaces, blurt out secrets and generally make a nuisance of himself. Until his parents patted him on the head. Pooja did the exact same thing, so why did he pretend to be so much better than her?

She was not to know. Before she had a chance to get to know him any better, he was sent away to boarding school. And soon after that, her world changed forever. 

In a matter of days, her father died, her sister got married, she was taken away from her beloved sweet shop and Chandni Chowk, taken away from all she had ever known, to a strange country. A place where she did not speak the language, did not understand the customs, did not understand her strange new social situation. 

So Pooja did she what she did best. She looked at an indifferent world and decided that she was going to make them care. No matter how silly she had to be in the process. She shortened her name to Pooh, wore loud and short clothes, hung out with silly friends. Silly was how she carved out a place for herself in an unfamiliar world. 

Anjali and Sayeeda were the first to realize what was going on. They saw through her veneer of silliness and realised that she was much more than a pretty face and provocative clothes. They wished she'd be different, but they had also made her this way. So they loved her and trusted that she would grow out of it in her own time. Rahul occasionally suspected, but she was always glib enough to bypass his scrutiny. 

No one ever saw her for who she truly was, no one ever pushed her to be better, truer to herself, until Laddu came back into her life. 

She was pleased and gratified that he remembered her, sought her out. She thought they would continue as they always had, playing silly games together against the world. She'd even pushed him to ask her to the prom, tried to make him jealous by hanging out with other guys. But he resisted. He was grown up now, become an intimidating Rohan instead of little Laddu. He'd lost his own mask, the day he decided that he would bring his brother back home. And this time, he saw right through her and insisted that she grow up too. He would have her for her own true self or not at all. 

Because Pooja was the first person he contacted when he came back to London. It was her help he enlisted to fulfill his mission. It was to Pooja he turned now, for her keen knowledge of Rahul's hurts and heart. It was to Pooja her turned, in moments of doubt, for reassurance and comfort. It was her he wanted, to stand by his side, during this journey and even later.

And slowly, with him by her side, she trusted that people would see her for who she was. She trusted that she would hold their attention, even when she was only herself.

And so, as they sat before the ceremonial marriage fire, Pooh shoots a coquettish look Rohan's way. He rolls his eyes, nudging her to focus on the chanting of the mantras. She smiles, content to leave it at that. Pooh would always be a little silly. She chose it.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for the errors in spelling and grammar.


End file.
